EDUC 2134: Language and Literacy in Early Childhood

Abstract

COURSE DESCRIPTION: The purpose of this course is to continue an exploration of literacy in the early elementary grades, which includes listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Students will (continue to) learn about phonemic awareness and phonics, and will learn about fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension — the five components of reading from the National Reading Panel (2000) — and various methods of teaching and assessing these components. The fieldwork component will enable students to observe and reflect on best practices in literacy education.¶ ESSENTIAL UNDERSTANDINGS (BIG IDEAS) The best resource in the literacy classroom is a well-prepared teacher who understands how literacy develops in children and has a variety of instructional strategies and materials in her repertoire and knows how and when to use each of them.¶ ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS 1. How can the classroom environment support and encourage literacy? 2. How can teachers support and encourage literacy in the early elementary grades? 3. What skills and strategies do “good readers” have and use? 4. What skills and strategies do “good writers” have and use? 5. How can teachers plan lessons effectively so that students can both acquire and practice these specific skills and strategies? 6. What role do the Next Generation Standards in English Language Arts (ELA) play in literacy education for both public education and Jewish day schools in NY?